Jody Folwell, born at Santa Clara Pueblo in 1942, is one of the best-known
of the avant-garde potters. She consistently finds new ways to draw attention
to controversial political and social issues through her remarkably plainspoken
pots. Her works are meant not as utilitarian pottery, but exclusively as
works of art.

One of nine children in the accomplished Naranjo family, Jody is one of
the most renowned American Indian clay-workers. She is known for the many
innovations she has instigated in the art of the pot. Her mother, Rose,
is an accomplished potter.

Lee Cohen, the now deceased owner of Gallery 10 in Santa Fe, told me not
long ago that he thought Jody Folwell was the first Indian artist to make
good, innovative, off-round, uneven-lipped, asymmetrical polished pots.
He referred to Jody as the "first impressionist potter" and said her ideas
were very different from those of anyone else working in clay. He thought
this even then, over twenty years ago, when Jody was just beginning to make
these types of pots. "She was flying in the face of resistance," Lee said,
"and she will always be on the edge fighting the odds."

Lee met Jody at the Santa Fe Indian Market before he had a gallery. He
bought a group of Jody's asymmetrical pots from her and told her he felt
she was making a breakthrough in her work. An architect by trade, Lee had
a good eye for form and design; he eventually opened an Indian art gallery
in Scottsdale, Arizona, and was an early champion of Jody's unusual pots.
"Lee was touched by God," says Jody. "I believe he was one of the clay spirits."

Jody has become known as a nationally prominent artist and was from the
beginning promoted by Lee as such, not necessarily as an American Indian,
but rather as a contemporary American artist.

Having probably always had a deep sense of social injustice, Jody believes
in making statements, both in her speech and with clay. She senses that
times are changing constantly, and she tries to keep up with the changes
enough to make statements that will affect people. In a culture where harmony
is a most valued element, Jody has taken on a challenging role.

We sit quietly looking at the special jar with a dog design Jody has made
for the exhibition. This piece calls to my mind Jody's belief in the importance
of bringing personal values into her work, in this case her compassion for
animals. To Jody, accomplishment is important; it is vital that you work
until you drop and that you be connected outside your own self. Living between
two worlds, as she does, has given this remarkable artist unique insight.

Jody's satirical pots are so well designed and executed that the casual
viewer may not be aware of the significance of the decoration. Jody often
uses words, letters, or parts of words as symbols on the surface of the
clay or integrated with the form. Each pot of this kind has an important
story, a real reason for being, and it is probable that most collectors
who buy such pieces have some understanding of her meaning.

Each of Jody's clayworks is vastly different from the others; there is
no repetition for the sake of repetition here. Some of the pieces are beautiful
for the finely polished surface and the gracefully incised designs embellished
with colorations from the bonfire. Others are caustic, with satirical elements
illustrating the statement she wishes to impart. Still others are contrasts
in matte and shine or in colors, or sit precariously in light of their width.
Each piece has a life of its own. Jody will tell you that's where all of
the power exists.

"I do not think of my work as pottery," she admits. "I think of each piece
as an artwork that has something to say on its own, a statement about life.
I think of myself as being a contemporary potter and a traditionalist at
the same time. Combining the two is very emotional and exciting to me."